As well as providing bus passengers with new levels of comfort Metro's new Cleckheaton bus station features some local public transport firsts.

The bus station has six stands with a covered central concourse, similar to Metro's award-winning designs for larger bus stations such as Huddersfield, Bradford and Keighley.

Passengers are now able to enjoy a more comfortable environment with 24-hour, monitored CCTV coverage, electronic departure information and new, high-quality flooring and seating.

And they will be able to take advantage of a new concept to public transport and shopping in West Yorkshire - Metro Kio.

Metro Kio are purpose-built shops, based in the new bus stations at Batley and Cleckheaton, in which passengers will be able to buy newspapers, sandwiches, coffees, soft drinks, snacks and cards, groceries, national lottery tickets and mobile phone top ups. Metro's pre-paid travel tickets, such as Day Rovers and MetroCards, will also be available at these first two Metro Kio outlets - along with timetables and other information.

Cleckheaton bus station and the Metro Kio shop is open between 5.30 a.m. and 8.00 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 9.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m. on Sundays. Outside these hours all bus services will operate from stand F.

Another first for Batley and Cleckheaton Bus Stations is real time bus arrival details, which will also be displayed on the bus stations' electronic display board when Metro's county-wide information system goes live later this year. Until then timetabled departures will be displayed on the electronic boards as in Metro's other bus stations.

At the opening ceremony Metro Chairman Councillor Stanley King said, "Batley and Cleckheaton represent the very latest thinking in Metro's drive to provide high quality public transport facilities for people across West Yorkshire.

"Metro's modern bus stations have won many awards in the past and I am sure that these new bus stations will earn the praise of the people of Batley and Cleckheaton."

"I am pleased to see this project come to fruition and delighted that Batley and Cleckheaton Bus Stations have been brought up to standard, said Councillor Harkin. People in the two towns now have a high-quality environment in which they can wait for their buses in comfort."

Cleckheaton bus station is used by around 2,500 passengers each day.